Mommy and Me
by ForeverPalz
Summary: My Mommy never frowned. She always had a smile. And she loved me. Loved me to death. Perhaps that's why she's not here with me now.
1. My Mommy

"It's Mother's Day tomorrow," Lilly Truscott reminded Oliver Oken, sitting on my bed.

"I know," he replied. "What are you getting your mother?"

"I bought Mom a perfume. Hope she likes it," she replied back.

Oliver grinned. "Good choice. I still have no idea what to get her."

Lilly frowned and answered thoughtfully, "Well, she'd probably like a mug, I guess..."

Oliver snorted. "Yeah, and have her use her man voice again? No thanks. I think I'll get her a watch or something..."

Lilly grinned. "Good one." She turned to me. I had been there listening all the time. "Miley, what're you getting your-" She froze midway, biting her lip in horror. What had she just said?! Oliver glanced at us uneasily.

I smiled sadly. "Me?" I asked in a small voice.

Oliver cut in. "What Lilly meant was...what would you have got...you know...if she was...here," he said hesitantly.

I smiled once again, a hint of sorrow playing in it. "It's alright, Oliver."

Lilly took my hand in hers. "I'm really sorry Miley..." she began in a small voice. "I-I didn't mean to..."

I did not wipe her sad smile off. "It's okay, it happens."

"Tell me about her, Miley. Your mother," Lilly said softly.

I sighed. "My mother, huh?"

Lilly nodded. I faced my two friends, fighting back tears. "Well, to start with...she was very fair...especially when Jackson bullied me..."

"_Jacky take my teddy!" a three year old me wailed as my five year old brother Jackson ran away, clutching my favourite teddy bear._

"_Nah-nannee-boo-boo! You're not getting this back!" he yelled, wagging his tongue._

"_MOMMY!" I bawled and ran to her room, where she was fixing her hair._

"_What happened, baby?" she asked me, pouting._

"_Mommy! Jacky take my teddy!" I shrieked, tugging at a fistful of her dress._

_Mommy frowned. "I'll talk to him, baby. Don't cry, okay?" Smiling, she wiped my tears with her finger.   
_

_"Thank you, Mommy," I sniffled and followed her to Jackson, who was poking my teddy in its eye.   
_

_"My teddy's eyes hurt!" I screeched, as I watched Mommy angrily walk up to _ _Jackson__, hands on her hips. _

_ She wagged her finger at him. "_ _Jackson__, give her back the toy now!" she ordered. _

_Jackson__ clutched my teddy tighter to his chest. "Miley's not playing tag with me!" _

_ Mommy turned to me. "Miley, if you play tag with him, he'll give it back to you." _

_ I smiled. I loved to play tag! "Okay, Jacky. TAG!" I yelled as I touched him. _

_ He smiled back and thrust my teddy onto me. "You take your teddy, Miley." _

_ "Thank you, Jacky," I said and gave him a hug. _

_Jackson__ grimaced. "Get off me! TAG ya!!!"_

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**A/N: How's it? Should I continue? Or is it a mere waste? Review!!!**


	2. My Mommy, The Greatest Cook EVER!

**A/N: I know, the previous chapter was really lame and as Cowgirl4Christ**** pointed out, close to corny. I hope this makes up for it. Sorry! And yeah, keep the reviews coming:) I love you all, those who reviewed in the previous chapter and also those who review this one. Thanks!!:):)  
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I smiled inwardly at the memory. "...and she was a great cook..." 

"_Mommy, I made a new best friend at school!" screamed a seven year old me after my first day at school, pointing to the petite girl with black pigtails next to me._

_My mommy smiled, delighted. "Great, who is it?"_

"_My name's Carrie. Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Stewart," Carrie said in a very dignified manner, holding out her hand._

_Mommy was apparently delighted at the little kid's manners. She shook Carrie's hand gently. "Pleased to meet you too, dearie."_

"_Mommy, Carrie says she's hungry," I told her, pouting. Usually when I said this, I too felt hungry for some inexplicable reason._

_My mommy looked suspiciously from me to her. "You mean_...you're_ hungry?" she asked, nodding at me._

_I blushed, looking down. "But she's hungry too!"_

_Mommy laughed. When she did, her brown curls flew backwards as she tilted her head upwards, eyes gleaming. I loved her laugh. _

_She went to the kitchen and we followed her._

"_What do you cook?" Carrie asked boldly._

_Mommy turned to her with one eyebrow raised. I knew what she was thinking, and I agreed. Carrie was acting a bit too matured for her age. Hands on hips, Mommy replied with a polite smile, "What do you want me to cook?"_

_Carrie grinned toothily. "I like cookies. Nice chocolate chip ones."_

_Mommy looked relieved that she had not demanded for more. "Then cookies you'll get!" she smiled, and proceeded to make some as the both of us waited hungrily._

_After about half an hour, Mommy put steaming hot cookies on the kitchen table, and Carrie and I made a dash for them. Carrie grabbed a handful and gobbled them all up._

"_Mmm...these ab yubbieb ban by bob's!"(_These are yummier than my Mom's)_ she said, her voice muffled._

_I tried to smile politely, but I just felt sick. I reached my hand out for the last cookie, but Carrie unfortunately beat me to it. She smiled at me. "Thank you, Miley."_

_I was confused. Why was she thanking me? Anyway, I smiled back as politely as I could, trying not to let my clenched teeth show. I glanced over at my Mommy. Her features wore a funny expression-a mixture of surprise, anger and sadness. I smiled back comfortingly, implying that I was okay._

_Even when Carrie had finished all the chocolate chip cookies._

_The phone rang suddenly, making us all jump. Mommy picked it up, and after a few exchanges of pleasantries and chats, she kept the phone down, facing Carrie. Her lips were twitching as though she was trying to contain a smile._

"_Carrie, it's your mother. She wants you home."_

_Carrie looked disappointed. "Oh" was all she could say as she went out of the door. But before leaving, she added, "I'll be back tomorrow for more cookies!" with the door banging shut behind her._

_There was a moment's silence. Then, I went and sat at the kitchen table, sadly gazing at the empty plate which held the remnants of my mommy's scrumptious cookies._

_Mommy smiled at me in a consoling way. Then, she went to the oven and voila! She retrieved a new batch of fresh cookies._

_My eyes widened in astonishment. "But Mommy-"_

_She pressed a finger to her lips, a small grin playing at her lips. "These are for you," she whispered, and set the heavenly treat before me._

"_Everything?" I asked in disbelief._

"_Everything," she repeated._

_I leaned over and gave her a kiss on her cheek. "You're the greatest cook ever," I whispered, taking a cookie in my hand and bringing it to my mouth._

_Mommy smiled and stroked my hair. "And you're the greatest eater ever," she laughed, eyes gleaming._


	3. My Mommy, A Comfort

I laughed out loud, causing Lilly and Oliver to stare at me expectantly. 

"Miley? You...kind of...zoned out..." Lilly began uncertainly.

I shook my head, feeling foolish. "Right. Sorry. Where was I?"

"You said your mom was a great cook," Oliver pointed out.

"Yeah. And..." I scrunched up my eyebrows, thinking. "What else do you want to know about her?"

Lilly shrugged. "I don't know…you tell us..."

A fond smile erupted on my lips. "She had this...this way of telling us…when we're sad…that everything will turn out fine…"

_An eight year old me sat huddled up in an alien bed in an alien room in an alien house, tears dripping helplessly down my cheeks. I was gazing down at photos of my old house, the one I had just left, in Tennessee. The one where I had grown up in. The one from which I was reluctantly parted, and taken to the foreign land of Malibu._

_A soft knock came on the door, and my mother gently tiptoed inside. "Why so dull, baby?"_

_I loved the way she called me her 'baby'. It reassured me that I was forever loved._

_I shook my head morosely. "It's not fair," I sobbed. "Why did we have to move here? I miss Tennessee!"_

_Mommy sat down on my bed beside me and stroked my hair consolingly. "Sometimes, things have to change. Changes are good, baby. Whatever happens happens for good."_

_I shook my head frantically again. "No they don't! What about my friends? What about Carrie and Sean? I miss them!"_

_Mommy smiled. I looked up in wonder, admiring the effortlessness of her smile. A smile which was not forced, which came straight from the heart. A pure smile._

"_Who said you won't find any friends here? You'll find better ones here!"_

"_How do you know?" I sniffed._

"_I just know, baby."_

"_What if I never find any friends here?"_

_Mommy shook her head lightly. "Don't say that, baby. You will. You'll find even better friends here."_

_A reluctant smile played on my lips. "I don't think Jackson will find any friends here. He's very mean."_

_Mommy laughed her tinkling laugh again. "Oh he will, baby! My kids are capable of finding friends."_

_I screwed my nose up. "What's capable, Mommy?"_

"_It means you _can_ do something."_

_After a thoughtful pause, I said, "So am I ca…capable of making friends?" I fumbled with the word 'capable', _

_Mommy nodded fondly. "You certainly are, baby."_

"_Mommy?" I asked in a small voice, climbing on her lap. "I'm capable of loving you."_

_The frothy laugh sounded again. "Oh, baby!"_

"_Are you capable of loving me too, Mommy?"_

"_You know I am, baby," she murmured, gently tickling my sides._

_I squealed with laughter. "Mommy!" She smiled and continued tickling me harder till tears splashed out of my eyes due to too much laughter._

"_Mommy, stop!" I squealed, enjoying it._

_Mommy stopped after a while, a huge grin on her face. "Happy?"_

_I nodded eagerly. Then, my face fell as the harsh reality of the move struck me. "But I still hate Malibu."_

"_Shh…" Mommy swept me in her arms and I melted in the ease and warmth of her cuddle. I nuzzled up comfortingly, with Mommy coaxing my eyes close, softly humming a tune from one of Daddy's songs. Before I knew it, Mommy had left me to dissolve in the arms of Morpheus, my head floating with beautiful dreams of a better tomorrow._

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**A/N: Sorry for the looong wait, but I was hoping for more reviews (_which I sadly did not get!!!_).And in case you're wondering if Miley was over-reacting to the move, trust me, I know how dejected and lonely we feel after moving from a place. It's a horrible, but hopeful experience, at the same time. So...what say? Review!!! And you'll get an update tomorrow itself!!**_  
_


	4. My Mommy, The Scared?

"Miley! You're doing it again!" Lilly snapped, jerking me out of memory lane. To my extreme embarrassment, I found my eyes brimming. "What's wrong, Miles?" 

I shook my head, trying my best to let the tears dry of their own accord.

"Miley?" Oliver asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

I nodded shortly, unable to speak.

Lilly placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, Miley. We're with you..."

I tried my utmost best to smile, but all that came out was a horribly wavering grin.

Oliver shrugged. "You must feel awful..."

Lilly rolled her eyes. "Oh no, she's ecstatic!" she snapped sarcastically, and received a punch in return.

I let out a feeble chuckle which lightened the tension immediately. "What else?"

"Er...Miley?" Lilly asked softly. "Could you...don't mind, but you know...do you remember...when you found out she was going to...well..._die_..." She bit her lip and stared timidly at me, almost afraid I would burst into tears or something.

I grinned. "It's alright, Lilly, there's nothing to be scared of."

"Well?" Oliver asked expectantly.

I sighed a heavy one.

"_Mommy!" a ten year old me yelled, searching for her. I was going to Lilly's in ten minutes, and I couldn't find my pink Chinese-collared shirt. It annoyed me that I always had to ask Mommy for my missing clothes. She hardly kept them in place those days!_

"_Mommy!" I shouted and barged into her room._

_On seeing her, I froze in horror._

"_Mommy!" I whispered in shock. I had never seen her in such a pitiful state._

_Her usually tied-back hair was all over the place, sticking out at random places. Her once-bright eyes had lost their sparkle and drooped ominously, dark circles tarnishing them from beneath. Her clothes were ill-fitted, and I noticed that her hands, which were all skin and bones, were clutching a bottle of water and some pills._

_She looked up groggily. "Go away, baby. I'm not well," she spoke in a raspy voice so unlike hers._

"_But Mommy-" I started, and climbed up on her bed._

_She pushed me away. "Miley, you heard me. I don't want you near me now," she ordered firmly._

_I did not go, and stared at her. She took a noisy and ungainly sip of water, splashing some down her shirt. _

"_Here," I offered, holding the bottle steady._

_She yanked it away, spilling more water. "Get away from me, Miley!" she snapped._

"_But Mommy...what's wrong with you?" I asked desperately._

"_I'm sick, alright?"_

"_But why are you all...scary?" I asked, half-afraid of the answer._

_She sighed in exasperation. "Baby, please go out. I'll explain it later."_

_I shook my head with defiance. "Not until you tell me why you're dressed up like this."_

_Mommy scrutinized me carefully, as though deciding whether to open her mouth or not. Finally, she replied in a much calmer tone, "Well...Mommy's just a bit unwell. The doctor has told me to take rest. Now baby, be a sweetie and go. You don't want to catch whatever I'm having, do ya?"_

_I shrugged, eyeing her suspiciously. "Okay," I said and backed away from the room, searching for Daddy. He was at the kitchen._

"_Daddy!" I tugged at his shirt, pulling him into my room so that Mommy could not hear me. "You've _got_ to tell me what's wrong with Mommy," I demanded, pushing him down on my chair._

_Daddy looked at me in an almost sympathetic way. "She's just sick, bud," he answered simply._

"_Why do I have the feeling that you guys are keeping something from me?" I asked, incensed._

_He patted my back. "Nothing's wrong. Just go to Lilly's, 'k? Your Mommy will be fine..." Even as he said it, his brow furrowed in doubt at his own statement._

"_Daddy-"_

"_Just go," he ordered firmly, and left._

_Annoyed, I flopped down on bed. What were they hiding from me and why?! Was Mommy really sick? Or was it something else that was bothering her?_

_I suddenly got an idea to spy on her. I knew it was really mean of me to spy on someone, but drastic situations called for drastic measures._

_I tiptoed carefully to my parents' room, to avoid getting caught by Jackson or Daddy, and stood right outside, my ear to the wall and my eyes peeping through the gap between the hinges of the door._

_There was Mommy, still clutching the bottle of water. The pills, I noticed, had gone. Perhaps she had already swallowed them?_

_Daddy was also there. He had his arm around her and her head on his shoulders._

"_Why me, Robbie?" she asked feebly, a single tear trickling down her cheek._

"_It's alright, we'll get through this," Daddy replied consolingly. He turned Mommy's head to face him. "Nothing's going to happen to you."_

"_How can you tell?" she asked again. She had never looked this defeated. It was usually Daddy, or Jackson and me, who were in need of comfort. And we got truckloads of it from Mommy._

"_I can."_

"_Eight months, Robbie. I've only got eight months left. How do you expect me to survive this?" she croaked. _

_I suppressed a horrified gasp. She had eight months left to...what? I hoped fervently it was not what I dreaded._

_And for the first time in my life, I saw my Daddy cry. He really did, and it looked horrible. Big fat tears leaked out from the corners of his eyes, and he looked distraught, and totally helpless. "Don't say that, Violet. Never say die."_

_Mommy smiled, albeit weakly, and gave him a frail punch on his shoulder. "Robbie!" she laughed softly. "What else did the doctor say apart from the _extremely_ disturbing fact that I have only eight whole months left to live?!" she asked sarcastically._

_I covered my mouth to refrain myself from screaming out loud. My mother was going to die in eight months?! This was what she was hiding from me? I let out a soft, heartbroken moan which thankfully no one heard, and I slid down on the floor, my heart sinking with despair._

_Daddy sighed. "The usual. Take lots of fluids, bed rest, blah blah blah."_

"_You can be assured of that, Doctor Robbie!" she laughed._

_I heard another heavy sigh from Daddy. "This may sound corny...but your heart is the purest one here, Violet. And I can't believe it's the purest heart which has a problem..."_

_Under normal circumstances, I would have belched upon hearing that incredibly stupid line, but right then, I could neither think nor utter anything aside from the horrible fact that my mother was going to die in eight months. I sobbed quietly, my face buried in my hands. It was as though an awfully torturous weight was bearing down and crushing my whole body._

"_Robbie, that was cornier than...well, I don't know, but it sure was corny! Cornier than a corn...or something..." Mommy ended doubtfully._

"_Violet! You sure need to learn something from me!"_

_Just then, there was a loud yell from Jackson, "IT BIT ME!"_

_My parents started. "Robbie...I hope Jackson's okay...just go check, will you?"_

"_Yeah, hold on. That boy troubles me no end! How am I gonna deal with him once you go?!" Daddy complained, getting up._

_I heard Mommy laugh. "Just go!"_

_Before I could get a chance to get up from my squatting place, Daddy had come out. He froze in his tracks when he saw me outside._

_I scrambled up quickly, nervous._

_His eyes widened in horror and his face looked thunderous as he eyed me with regret, guilt, disbelief and fright. It was the first time I had ever seen him like that._

"_Daddy, I-"_

"_How long have you been listening?" he asked slowly, in a tremulous voice._

_I looked up at him shakily, my eyes puffed and voice hoarse. "Long enough."_

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**Sorry that I took an incredibly long time to update. I was kinda busy with 'And Along Came the Memories'. Oh, and I only just saw the episode 'I Am Hannah, Hear Me Croak' and I realised that her mom is very different from what I've potrayed. For one, Miley calls her 'Momma'. And her mom is more of the sarcastic type (like Robbie Ray), which is totally different from my version. But I'm not changing mine.  
**

**Well, here ya go, I enjoyed writing this part...and did you enjoy reading it as well??**_  
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	5. My Mommy, The AnnoyingYetBest

**It's been centuries since I last updated, I feel...but studies have weighed me down a lot. A sincere apology on my behalf, and I hope this chapter makes up for the absense.**

**I'll also be updating my other equally rotting stories soon. Meanwhile, please keep the reviews coming!**

**Love you all!  
**

**Forever Palz **

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Lilly let out a soft gasp. She still had her hand on my shoulder. "Miley...you...I never knew..." 

Oliver stared at me with a pained expression. "Miley...there's no need to...you know, talk about it if you don't want to. No one's forcing you," he said gently.

"No, that's fine...I've never really told anyone about this, not even Jackson...it actually feels good," I answered in what I hoped fervently was an assuring tone. I felt really glad to have such great friends.

"She was a perfect mother, huh?" Oliver asked tentatively.

I gave a short laugh. "Perfect?" I snorted. "No way! Well, I thought she was, when I was small...but she's like every other mother, embarrassing her kids in public..."

"She did?!" Lilly asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah! When I was a kid, I used to think she was the ultimate queen...loving, beautiful, kind, gentle and everything. But then when I turned, like, eleven, she got annoying. She still treated me like I was five or something..."

"Tell me about it!" Oliver mumbled dryly.

"But she wasn't that bad," I cut in quickly, anxious for them not to have a wrong impression of my mother. "Else I wouldn't miss her so much now, would I?"

"Well," said Lilly brightly, obviously wanting to change the topic. "Tell me about the time you became – you know, _Hannah Montana!_" The last two words came out in a squealing tune. I could see she wanted me to talk about things which were not in any way related to my mom. But to her disappointment, it had everything to do with my mother.

"Well, I wouldn't have been Hannah Montana if Mommy wasn't there," I started, avoiding Lilly's eyes, which must have widened in alarm at the mention of my mother.

_I sat on a cushioned chair under the blinding fluorescent light, a huge flock of butterflies fluttering restlessly in my stomach. My brain was screaming for me to run away, far, far away from this worthless waiting room outside the audition hall and into the comfort of my home. Unfortunately, that was not a wise thing to do in the presence of my parents who were apparently bursting with hope and pride for me. _

_I hugged myself tightly, squeezing my eyes shut. "I can't do this," I mumbled to myself. "There's no way I can sing in front of that manager of Daddy's! I'm going to end up sounding like a crow and everyone's going to laugh at me!" _

_"Do you really think so?" Mommy's voice sounded beside me. I groaned inwardly. It was one of her 'comforting' talks again. _

_"Mommy, don't try to make me feel better, 'cos I'm not going to!" I mumbled, annoyed. _

_She put an arm around me. "I wasn't going to." _

_"What?" _

_"No, on the contrary, I was planning to laugh my head off if you mess up," she said nonchalantly. _

_I stared at her. "Great. Mommy, now you're trying to be sarcastic. It's not workin' on me," I told her, scowling. I was in a nervous mood already, and was in no frame of mind to be comforted. _

_Mommy laughed. "Oh no, I wasn't. I was seriously thinking of laughing at you if you happen to sing like a crow, which I know you will. In fact, I was just telling _ _Jackson__ that he should have brought a trumpet along with him!" _

_This time, I stared at her hard and long. What was with her?? Where was the old, comforting Mommy of mine? "Mommy...are you really okay?" I asked dubiously. Maybe whatever disease that was drinking her lifespan away had made her go out of her mind. _

_As I thought of that, a terrible pang hit me in my already busy stomach. It suddenly struck me that the moments she spent with me were limited; sooner or later (more sooner than later), I would have to bid a goodbye to her forever. _

_She laughed, and this rocketed my mood sky-high. At least she was not moaning about her impending death. "Oh baby! If you honestly think you're gonna mess up, you _will_ mess up. It's like that!" she said warmly, and swept me in her arms. _

_"Oh no," I mumbled. "So you think I'll mess up?" _

_"It's not really like that," she whispered in my ear. "You have to have the confidence. And luck. Right now, you've got only one in a million chance that you'll pass this audition and be on your way to become a singer, because I heard the audition man is a grumpy, reluctant type. But if you have the confidence," she gave my forehead a kiss and I tried not to squirm in embarrassment. "You'll be that one." _

_Rubbish, I thought. I shook her off, annoyed. I was trying to concentrate on not getting flustered in front of the audition guy and here was Mommy, whispering nonsense and trying to cuddle me in public! _

_"Mommy, please stop," I mumbled. _

_She seemed to understand, and went back to Daddy and Jackson. _

_After what seemed like eternity, a guy in overalls and a cap came out and called my name. I jumped up at once and fearfully followed him in. He told me that I could choose any one person to accompany me. _

_I looked back through the glass window, where my parents and Jackson were waving enthusiastically at me. "Mommy," I said on an instinct. I did not know what on earth made me pick Mommy. _

_But she came in, anyway. She was looking calm and unruffled. I wondered if she had any idea that her daughter was about to go through the biggest and probably the most frightening test of her life. She gave me an assuring smile and squeezed my shoulders. I tried to smile back in gratitude but all that came out was a twisted half-grin half-snarl. _

_She still smiled. I envy her. _

_Just then, the guy called us over. Daddy's manager was seated near a very haughty looking middle aged man who looked like he owned the place. Daddy's manager was trying to convince the man that I was not going to be 'another mere waste of time-er'. _

_I went forward nervously, clasping my hands together tightly. I have the confidence, I tried to assure myself. I can be that one in a million. _

_Unknowingly, I was abiding by Mommy's words. _

_"Alright, kid, hurry up and show me what you've got," the middle-aged man grunted in a very bored voice. His eyes were half-drooping as he watched me with absolute disinterest. Daddy's manager, meanwhile, gave an embarrassed, apologetic smile to Mommy. _

_I grasped the mike. _

_Be confident, I reminded myself again. _

_I brought the mike close to my mouth and my lips parted. I tried to thrust my voice forward. _

_To my alarm, nothing came out but a breath of air. At once I panicked. I tried to make a sound, but not a single sound came out. _

_My voice had gone hoarse out of anxiety. _

_Mommy seemed to sense my panic, as her calm look gave way to a trace of fear. But then she mouthed something and from what I could make out, she was telling me that I was her 'one in a million'. _

_At once, my spirits soared inexplicably and I found myself starting to sing one of Daddy's compositions with utmost confidence, zest, energy and soulfulness. It must have been the very best song I've ever sung till date, because I was so totally lost in the spirit of it that I couldn't see a thing – not the mike, not the three astounded faces in front of me, not my brother impishly jumping up and down and waving at me through the window...I was totally lost in the song. It was stirring, yet something about it made me feel perfectly confident about my voice, the song, my tune...I was perfectly at ease, with no unwanted anxieties clouding my mind.  
_

_At last, I finished the song. Finally. It seemed to go on forever, and suddenly, I realised it was over, My audition was over. I dared to open my eyes and saw the world go mad. _

_Daddy's manager clapped furiously, beaming at me. Daddy, who had been watching from the window, gave me a thumbs-up sign. _ _Jackson__ made a whoop. The man who was previously bored with me now was slowly turning red at having been proved wrong. I was evidently not a waste of time. _

_My eyes swept over to my Mommy. She wasn't looking delighted. Nor was she looking surprised. In fact, she had the same calm face before coming here, except for a small smile that played at her lips and her which eyes showed pure pride as she gave me a nod bursting with controlled euphoria.  
_

_That small gesture meant more to me that any amount of hugs and kisses in the world, and I ran to her and knocked her over in a furious hug. "Mommy, I love you!!" I shouted to her. I did not care if the whole world was listening to the 'sappy' proclamation I just made. All I cared about was for Mommy to remain with me forever, and to never, ever leave me... _

_The audition man cleared his throat, and I turned to him. But I was not nervous anymore. A newfound confidence had sprung up in me. _

_"Well, you get the contract," he said with a defeated grin. "And you better sing the other songs as good as this one, young kid. The chances of you getting this contract was almost zero, but your singing..." he seemed short of words. "Well, keep it up. I'll call you in a couple of weeks, when we start recording." _

_I smiled at him. "Thank you," I told him, and turned to my mother. "Mommy, I am the one, aren't I?" I whispered. _

_My mother's eyes seemed to be brimming. She swept me into another tight hug, but this time, I didn't shake her off. In fact, I loved it. "You sure are, baby," she murmured. _

_"But Mommy," I said, breaking away suddenly. A new, scary thought just occurred. "How will I sing if you're not there?" _

_"What do you mean? I'm always there for you!" _

_"But what about after you...you know..." I could not bring myself to say 'die'. _

_She stared at me in a caring way, stroking my hair. "Death can't take me away from you, baby. I'll always be there for you." _

_"Thanks," I whispered, and melted in her hug once again. _


	6. My Mommy, the Tough

**I'm sorry again for the (extremely) late update!!! But I seriously have not a moment to log on properly and type...I hope this chapter's good. Please review; this might be the second, or third to last chapter. Thanks! **

**Forever Palz**

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When I finished narrating all this, I looked up only to see Lilly's face buried in her hands, and Oliver looking at her uncomfortably. He tapped her tentatively.

"Lilly?" he asked quietly. She lowered her hands and revealed a tear-stained face. She was looking distraught. "I'm...sorry, Miley, but I just felt so..." she mumbled, almost incomprehensively. Grabbing some tissues from my dresser, she furiously scrubbed her face dry with them.

I felt guilty. It was as though I was narrating some sob story. "Listen, guys, I- I'm sorry. I think I should stop now. I...I've said enough, really," I said hastily, hoping they would not think I was asking for sympathy. "Really, I don't want you to feel sorry for me, or anything. Please."

"N-no, it's...nothing like that. Carry on, Miley," Lilly said at once, forcing a smile. "It feels good to get it off your chest, you know."

"We don't feel sorry for you or anything. We're your best friends, so you can tell us anything," Oliver chipped in.

I looked at the two of them reluctantly. "Thanks. Well...," I shrugged. "What else do you want to know about Violet Stewart?" Getting that name out sent a wave of nostalgia over me. The last time I mentioned it was at her funeral, where I had to speak a couple of words about her.

"Anything you want, Miley," Oliver said gently. "We're in no hurry."

"What about your first ever crush? Who was it, Joe or something, right?" Lilly suggested, a little too brightly.

"Yeah. Joel. Oh man, I totally hate that memory. It's..." I didn't know what to say. Shameful? Embarrassing? Regretful? I would go with all three. I wish I could rewind time and go back to that period of my life again!

_This was it. This was the big day. _

_The day I was going to put forward the biggest demand of my life. I saw Mommy in the kitchen from where I was standing. No one else was there. Jackson was with his friends, and Daddy at work. Great. This was the chance. After all, she could not possibly deny anything for me, not when my first concert was just four hours away. _

_I tiptoed across to her as silently as possible, praying fervently she would agree. After all, I was big enough; my twelfth birthday was just round the corner. _

_"Mommy?" I asked anxiously. _

_"Hmm?" she asked, not looking up from the mouth-watering cheesecake she was busy icing. "Baby, I'm baking this for your Daddy, when he gets home. Sixteen years ago, we met on this very day." _

_I inhaled sharply. Just the right moment to put forward my request. "Yeah, Mommy, about that...well, how old were you then?" _

_She looked up. Uh-oh. She could now see my face turn red when it had to. _

_A smile lit her face. "Eighteen years, three months and twenty-one days," came the reply. I have to admit, her accuracy impressed me. _

_ But still. Eighteen? _

_"Well...how old were you when..." I took a deep breath. "You know. You went out. With a guy?" I squeaked. My face was furiously turning red with every passing moment. _

_Now Mommy's eyes widened. "Miley," she said, and her tone lost its former chirpiness. She never called me Miley unless something was serious. "Are you telling me that some boy has asked you out?" _

_I squeezed my eyes shut in dismay. Oh boy. I should have known. She would never agree. She cared too much. Opening them, I started nervously, "Well, yeah, actually. Th-there's this...really nice...and cute boy...called Joel. He...told me he likes me. He also kind of...asked me if I could...you know, watch a movie with him next Saturday night." I peered at her face anxiously, waiting for the outcome. She would not possibly deny, would she? After all, this was the first time someone asked me out. _

_Her face hardened and she turned back to her icing. "I'm sorry, Miley," she said sternly. "The answer is no."_

_My heart fell, dropped down way down to the floor. "Why?" I asked her, trying not to let my despair show. _

_She clicked her tongue imaptiently. "Miley, I just can't allow you to go out with a boy to the movies, alone, and that too at night. I'm really sorry baby. If you want, you can invite him home. But no going out without any adults." _

_"But Mommy!" I wailed. "I'm practically twelve! And today is my first ever concert! You can't let me down, Mommy!" _

_She turned to me, and, in a carefully controlled voice, said through pursed lips, "I hope I have made my decision clear to you." Normally, when she spoke in this tone (which was once in a blue moon or so), no earthquake could budge her decision. _

_But today, I was not going to give up. I had to have my way, once and for all. _

_"It's not fair, Mommy! I already said yes to him! Besides, all the other kids go out on dates!" I shouted, banging my fist on the kitchen counter. _

_"At this age? I doubt it. Has Lilly ever gone on a date? Or Oliver?" she asked, keeping her voice mellow and calm. She was drawing pink hearts over the cake. _

_I stared at her. She knew the answer as well as I did. So I tried Phase Two of my plan without bothering to answer her. _

_"Mommy. If you say no to me now...I could remain unloved by any man for the rest of my life," I started in a very solemn voice. Mommy stared at me with her hands on her hips. "Do you realise how important this is, Mommy?" I continued. " What if Joel and I are meant to be? What if we are destined to get married someday, or something? Some things are just planned, you know. If you allow me now, you might get the rare fortune of seeing your daughter married happily ever after to someone she met at the age of twelve, and hasn't stopped loving since. If you refuse now, you might never see your daughter on the altar. Ever," I finished, wearing what I hoped was a pained expression, with my palm on my heart. _

_I congratulated myself silently. I had spent the whole night composing this speech, and had recited it verbatim, with the correct pauses at the correct places, and the correct expressions. I wanted to see Mommy wheedle out of this one. _

_Instead, the corners of her mouth twitched, like she wanted to smile. Then, turning her back on me, she said nonchalantly, "Well, both options have the same consequence for me, seeing I'll never get the chance to see you on the _altar _anyway, as is the situation I am in now. My answer remains the same, Miley. No." _

_At that frame of time, I never really paid attention to her justification, never realised what she meant. I only heard her say the word 'no'. In a fit of rage, I stomped back into my room and banged the door shut, vowing never to speak to my mother till she relented. _

_I heard her calling after me, but I ignored her. She evern knocked on my door, but I remained silent. _

_Perhaps she cried. I would never know. _

_I looked at the clock. Three hours and twelve minutes left to go for my concert. I had to get ready. _

_I never really realised what she meant, until during my concert. I never realised that these were the last few hours I was going to spend with her. That the fight I had with her was going to be her - and my- last. _


End file.
